The Black Sands
'The Black Sands '(Warsi: Sablenoiria) is the capital city of the Withered Faction, located within the Royal Province and lies 600 miles due east of Talon. Located in the lifeless heart of the Black Sands desert, the city has a population of 3 million and is considered to be one of the most isolated cities on the planet. The city was founded upon the site where the Twelve Disciples of Death received a revelation from the Wither. Its expansion would later give rise to the Kingdom of Sablenoir, which would be conquered by Lord Madalon I of Talon. After its proclamation, the Thorian Empire doubled in size, marching in all directions and conquering all that it saw. During the Thorian period, the Black Sands was the religious capital, while Talon was the seat of government of the Empire. The city was besieged by the forces of the western invader Invaron Katriontra in the climactic Battle of the Black Sands. By Marr's hand, the siege was lifted and Invaron slain by his old battle brother. The end of the War of the Gods paved way to the collapse of the Empire in the Great Summerlandic Revolution. The Black Sands became the official capital of the newly formed Withered Faction where it continues to serve as the Faction's seat of government. As the site where the Withered god originally came to the earth and granted magic to the desert's inhabitants, the Black Sands is the holiest site in the Withered religion and the spiritual and historic home of Death Magic. It is the last city travellers come across before entering the vast emptiness of the Thorian Sea, the empty lifeless sea of sand that seperates the western Summerlands from the Trojan Desert in the isolated far-east. History Founded in 133 A.A.W, the Black Sands was one of the earliest deset settlements founded by Thorian settlers. In Withered religious texts, the city was said to be founded by a group of travellers who each felt compelled by an unnaturally strong force to go there. Once they assembled, they received the Revelation of Death by the Withered God, and the ability to use Death Magic. This group became known as the 12 Disciples of Death, and are important religious figures. They lay the foundations of the Black Sands city over the location where they received the revelation. The city was taken during the Talon War by Madalon the Conqueror in 228 A.A.W. Originally an atheist, Madalon became a fervent believer of the Faith. After reading the Revelation of Death, Madalon proclaimed his nation an empire, with the Black Sands as its capital. During his reign, Madalon brought the religion back to his home of Talon and the surrounding areas. Thorian citizens were forced to convert or die, in what is known as the Thorian Crusade. In 258, the foundations of the Black Sands Fortress and the Grand Church were layed down. Madalon died in 263 A.A.W. The Grand Church was finished during the reign of his son, while the Fortress itself would only be completed in the reign of Madalon's grandson. Accipitrian Invasion At the peak of the War of the Gods, the Accipitrian Genocides caused a large number of refugees fleeing the War to come to the Black Sands. As the city's population grew, many began to die due to the outbreak of diseases such as the Bloody Rush. Morale in the city deteriorated when the Accipitrian forces broke through the Thorian Defense Line in 1702 A.A.W. The Battle of the Black Sands is the only battle in which a foreign military directly sieged the city. Over the course of two months, Accipitrian troops bombarded the city with dark magic attacks, inflicting huge casulties. The siege was only lifted after the arrival of reinforcements led by Commander Ostandarr and the death of King Invaron.